Trap



W. C. BAILEY TRAP Sept. 20, 1949.

Filed Feb. 25, 1944 @Moa/wands Patented Sept. 20, 1949 TRAP ' applicati@ rieur'nary25,1944;smarriti;seater *Thisinvention relates totraps for fcatchingrats and other rodents as well' as other small fur-bearinglanimals, and has for the'primary object the provision of a trap vwhich will be simple, durable andeiiicient andjwhich includespairs of' spring f inuenced fjaws cooperative with'a rigid base for rmly gripping and holding .anffanimal when trapped thereby. f: c. fx s Another object of-this invention 'is the provision of a latch 'mechanismftowhichibait maybe easily attached and which Willbe extremely sensitive to theaction offanari-imai takingtheibaitand which will be easy to' operatefor :the setting ofthe jaws. "With these andl otherl objects in view as will become more Y:apparent asthe description -pro-v ce'eds, the invention'consistsin vcertain novel fea-V tu'res 'of construction-,icombination and vrarrangement' of parts asviiillfbe hereinafter more vfully describedandclaimed."lz 'fi f c* For a complete understanding of-A my invention, reference is to be had to theiollowing description and accompanying "drawings, `in whichV Figure 1 is a top' vplan' viewv illustrating'a trap constructed in accordance Vwith my'i'nvention.' Figure 2 is a side? elevation,v partly `in section, illustrating the tra'pjvthe full lines indicating the trap in cocked position andthe dash and dotted lines indicating the trap'inreleased position." AFigure 3 isa transverse sectional view taken on the line 3L3of Figure 2. f f i v Figure 4 is a fragmentary" transverse sectional View on thelin'e -lloffFigure 2, villustrating the latch mechanism. y Y Refer'ringfin detail 'to the drawings; the numeral 5 indicates an elongated rigid base provided with :I

depending iianges 6 on opposite longitudinal edges thereof for the'sup'port of the base on a surface. Pairsof bearing sleeves I'` are suitably secured on the base adjacenttheends-thereof and rotatablysupport pairsv of jawsI, the jaws of each pairbeing integrally connected Y`by crank shaped members 8. Each jaw lis formed fromstil wire and is of substantiallyirectangular shape: as clearly shown in Figure 3, one cross end portion of lthefrectangular frame thus formed being hinged in thesupporting sleeveB. The crank shaped members 8 are connecte'dat the middle thereoi` each to the ends of arcoil'springS which extends through a slot I0 provided in the top wall of the'transverse base and underV a' base plata!! of'apost I2 forming a partofY aI latch mechanism I3.' 'The action of the` springvis to'swing'the pairs of jaws in'the direction of ,eachrother an'dagainst the hase 5 with considerable force so as to cooperate with the base in gripping and holding an animalf-The movement "of the jaws underthe' influence of the spring is indicated by the arrows in Figure 2.

Latch rods I4 are journaled and supported at their outer ends on the crank shaped members 8 and are adapted to have their meeting inner ends pass freely` througlraligned openings I2', I2', provided in the post I2 at opposite sides thereof.

` Formed 'on the journaled ends of the latch rods are'eXtenSiOn-'hooks1I5=`which may be manually engagedfwith AIAendvedges` ofthe basel for sustain'- ing the jawstemp'orarily in. f a substantiallyy .uplright position-against the faction' of thespring prior to the Yinsertion of: the''latch rods into the Openings I2-,fI2$`-of thefpost|2 thereof; f1

The upper endl Aof-the lpost I 2 fis .bifurcated 'so asfto formY spaced 'earslIS which carry 'a pin I'I, said pin havi'ngfthetrigger plateY I8'=mounted"for pivotal movement thereon'. The trigger plate is apertured in 'itsif'upper portion as vat I9 vfor the accommodation` of suitable bait thereinl? As shown'in Figure f4, the@ trigger plateisy of subvstantiallydiamond-shape-'and has its lower end in engagementwith 'the'upper'fa'ce of the head 25 4of *the spring-influenced.plunger 2 slidably mounted withinfthe1 post :|25 Disposed within the post I2 and xedlyfsecured thereto is a plate 2G provided with an'aperture for the passage-of the' stem o'f the plunger 2U therethroughf Mounted in-surrunding relation with the vupper portion of the stem of the plunger 20 is a spring 21, the upper end 'of thef'spring bearingV against the' lower face of the head1 25=of the'plunger 29 an'dthelower end'bearing against the upper face of the plate 2li and supported thereon? VDepending from the lower endof the plunger'Z land carried thereby isy the' abutment member 22 against which are adapted to'b'ear the ends'of the offset latch rods I4 extending through the complemental aligned openings* I2', I'2 in` the post'Y I2. ByV reference` tor Figures :2 and 4illustrating the trap in' cocked position, it *will Vbe seen "that lthe abutment member "2'2 is intermediate the -aligned openings I2","I2in'the'post'rIZywith each of-the ends of the oifsetll'atch rods lll'in'bearing contact with thefaceofvv said abutment member adjacent thereto.V fThus-g theabutment member when positioned'intermediate the aligned openings I2', I2 in the post I2 prevents the 'latch'rods I4 whenfinserted-infsaid openings from passing entirely through the'postf'ILthereby causing the jawsY 1 to bevmaintainedfin upright position' under the influence of the springt; if"

'An animal attemptingto takev the bait supported in the opening I9 oftlietrigger-plate I8 will Acause:pivtal'movement of2 the trigger plate, freeing or releasingthe' spring-influenced plunger 2U so that th'abutment member 22thereof` moves upwardlyf undertheactinof the spring V2'! out of engagement with .the openings l2', VIZ yinV the post I2,v permitting thel'atch rods' I4 to slide freely relative -to`each otherandthr'ough aligned openings I2', I2 of the post I2 so that the jaws 'I may swing into engagement with the base 5 with considerable force under the action of the spring 9 to clamp the animal tightly against said base. It will be seen that the animal may take the bait from either side of the post I2, and thus will be in a position to be engaged by either pair of the jaws 1.

A trap of the kind' shown in the drawings and described in detail heretofore will be durable,

extremely simple and economical to construct, easy to set and will be positive in catching of anx animal. Y Y

While I have shown and describedthe preferred:

embodiment of my invention),itgwllbeunderstoldi f that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimeda Having thusf describedi the; invention, what I claim is:

1f. In a trap, ay rigid base, jaws hinged on, said base for swinging movement-inl. the direction of post for sustain-ingfthejawsinsetposition at:- sub-y stantially right angleatothe base.`

2; In. a trap, a rigidr base, jaws hinged: on said base for swinging movement iny the. direction ot each other andi the: base, crank por-tions for-,med on the jaws, latch! rodshingedi tgthefcrank, pore tions and'extending in thedireetion; offeachother, tension meansy connectingE thecrank portions,y a postA mounted'` onl thebasebetweem said; jaws and having openings, to freely-receive the latchr rods, a spring inuenoed'plunger' carried? im thspoSttO' engage adjacent endsioffthe` latch; rods to sustain thev jaws in set position at. snbstantiaglly,- right angles'to they base, and` abait, plate pivotant connected-to thepost; andi engaging saidfplunger;

3; In a trap, a rigid base, jaws: hinged on, said base to swing in the direction off each, otherand cooperate with the base: in. gripping` an, animali cranks. on said jaws, saidi base having a slotl a post mounted on` said base and stnaddlinggthe slot, a coilA spring passing through theslot underythe post and having its: ends connected# tothe cranks to urge the jaws: in thedirection ofthe base, latch rods pivoted-to the cranks, 'saidpost'hayingropeng ings tof-reely andi slidably, receivetheslat-c-,h rods,

a springpressedplunger carried; by, the; post to engage adjacent endspfthenods to sustain said rods from sliding through the, post,` and a bait carrying plateA pivotedT to. the post to engage the spring pressedv plunger. 1

4. In a trap, a rigidl base, jaws hinged on said base to swing in the. direction ofreach other and cooperate with the base in grippingy ain. animal; cranks on said jaws, said: base having a slot, a post mounted on said'baseandfstraddling the slot, a coil spring passing through the slot under the post and having its. ends connected: to the cranks to urge the jawslinthe' direction 'offthe base, latch rodsfpivotedto-,the cranks, saidg post having-` openings to freely and slidably.' receive they latch rods, a spring pressedY plungen carried bythe post to vengage adjacent ends. of.- thef rods. to sustain said rodsffrom sliding throughthepost; albait carry posite ends thereofieach. paimt thezje ing plate pivoted to the post to engage the spring pressed plunger, and hook shaped members formed on the pivoted ends of the latch rods to engage end edges of the base tovsustain the jaws in set position-,while saidllatch rodsare: out of the openings and during a period' of ytime when the plunger is being set to intercept the movement of said latch rods through the openings of the post.

5. In a trap, a rigid base, opposed pairs of jaws hinged onY said base, each pair of the jaws being arrangedin spaced and aligned relation to each Qthentensionmeans acting to urge the jaws of each pair inwardly and downwardly toward each otherL and into gripping relation with the base, latch rods in association with said jaws, a post mounted: on, said base between, said; jaars, andreleasable trigger means car-riedf by s post adapted to engagetheadjacent ends of; said-rods toprevent movement ,offthe latter relative toeach other for sustaining the opposedpairs.V ot jawsin set position substantially, verticalk and; at' Iight angles to thebase,

6. In a trap, a rigid elongated, base, opposed pairsfof` j aws hinged; onthemase .adj acenttheopbllg arranged spaced.: and; aligned: relation, t9; each other, tension means acting te; urge. thefiawse Qieach pair inwardly anddownwardlytowardf each other and into grippingrelation with, the.;l b ase, the jaws. of; each pair` loting;spaced1 apart and having a common crank element-.eormeetinefthe Seme whereby. the jaws are moveblefteeether toward, and away.' from eachother, a postdpcated medially on the base, a cooperetvefnelrnefms each having its, outerv end: wrote-lla attached t0 the crank element. @frane rif-seid pairs of the inner @manon-ions ofrsaiarossbeinearranged andf adapted to passl each, othen and; being slidn ably supportedr` on. saidi mst-, and; trigger:A mea-ns comprising a. vertically,r monable latch element having a portionA to be interposed: te.creeny the. inner ends of;T said; rods,` inv the retracted position of the same and? wherebyyupon releas of said` latch element frombetween-theendsons rpds the rods are movable past' each other,- in their supported.I relation; onthe, poxst, unvzlery the force of' the tension meansfin urgingthe opposed pairs of jaws toward each other and, (ipitziiivvardly;v in gripping relation with the has@ of the trap,

REFERENCES. @IE-.Ea The followingreferences are ofA record in the le of this patent; Y

UNITED STATES. gerente Number Name Date 579,026 Trumble" Mar. 16, 1897 891,880 'I'mbyv June30, 1908 928,779 Miller July.20', 1909 1,211,134 Gill` Jan.' 2, 19.17` 1,299,086- Wing Apr. 1, 1919. 1,389,626 Chute Sept. 6, 1-921 1,452,087 Mark et al. Aprl'l'?, 1923 1,455,106 Butler May L5, 1923 1,494,918 Kleinpeter- May 20, 1924' 1,530,918 Stilsoil et al. Mar. 24, 1925 1,558,015 JonesV Oct. 20, 1925 FQEEIGN. BAENTS, Number Gountry Date Great Britain 18921 

